Elva's Revenge
by Faerie of Lightwater Forest
Summary: Elva realizes that Eragon meant to bless her, not curse her, but she can't help but think him an idiot for it, and despises our young Rider for his mistake. This is a story from her point of view. Rated for mild violence. *Written before Brisingr*
1. Prologue

Some believed that Elva was shy, but the truth was that she was merely taciturn. The girl simply saw no point in wasting her breath. Besides, not many wished to listen to a small child as – she hated the word – _freakish_ as herself, with her large, violet eyes and silvery dragon-marked brow. Also, thanks to Eragon's rather foolishly placed curse, the young girl's voice came out sounding like an adult's. Such a voice coming out of a child seemed almost profane, as Lady Nasuada had once said, and, though she really wasn't, Elva often sounded cold and callous when she spoke.

Eragon had given his word that he would try to lift Elva's curse after the Battle of the Burning Plains, but the battle had been over for nearly a fortnight, and yet no attempt had been made. Looking back, Eragon had seemed somewhat pompous, perhaps making the promise for show rather than out of genuine concern for Elva's welfare. Aye, he surely only wanted to make himself look good for Angela and Nasuada, and he'd been irritatingly nonchalant for the past two weeks. Nay, Elva decided, there was no way that that Dragon Rider gave a care about Elva... so Elva would just have to track him down, and make him pay for his insolence.

A/N: I wrote this chapter as a short story for English class, and I liked it well enough to make it a fanfiction. I realized that it was really only a beginning to a story, so I'm going to write more chapters. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter; it was originally just a short story, after all. Please review, I really appreciate it when I get reviews!


	2. Chapter 1

Elva glared at the old crone who had taken care of her since her parents' deaths. "More food," she demanded. The crone bowed and left the room. Elva sat on the floor and sighed. She leaned her head forward slightly so that her dark locks fell forward to obscure her odd facial features. She hated this, this constant hunger. She hated this ability to sense all misfortune in the area, as well.

There was a knock on the door. "Who goes there?" Elva demanded chillingly, although she already could sense that it was the witch, Angela the Herbalist, and her werecat, Solembum. The doors opened and the guards inclined their heads to the curly-haired woman as she entered the cold room with the werecat on her heels. In his human form, Solembum grinned at Elva, displaying perfectly pointed teeth.

"Elva, I need to tell you... Eragon has left with Roran and Saphira to fight the Ra'zac at Helgrind. There's no telling when they'll return, but when they do, Eragon will lift your curse," Angela said.

"Or so the Rider claims," Elva replied darkly.

"There's more," the herbalist continued, "some of the Varden are returning to Tronjheim to join the dwarves at King Hrothgar's funeral. Because of Eragon's acceptance of Hrothgar's offer to become one of the king's clan, Durgrimst Ingeitum, Eragon is required to join us. But he's going to Helgrind instead, the blockhead."

Elva's eyes narrowed. "Nasuada is returning to Tronjheim as well?"

"Aye, as are Solembum and myself."

"I must accompany Lady Nasuada."

"Yes, and you're my responsibility, so you definitely have to come with us."

"When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Wonderful," Elva said sarcastically. She wasn't too eager to feel everyone's pain from the loss of Hrothgar.

Suddenly there was another knock on the door. "Who's there?" asked Elva again.

"'Tis Lady Nasuada, here to see you," answered one of the guards. The doors opened and in stepped Nasuada. Elva almost flinched; at the sight of Nasuada, all of the Varden leader's troubles washed over Elva's senses.

"You did your very best in the Battle of the Burning Plains," Elva said soothingly, her curse forcing her to try to ease some of Nasuada's pain. "Congratulations. I doubt even Ajihad could have done as well as you."

"Thank you," Nasuada said, her expression not softening. She seated herself on the floor next to Elva, and after throwing a glance in Angela's direction, said, "I presume that Angela has filled you in on the goings on among the Varden?"

"She has informed me that we are returning to Tronjheim for Hrothgar's funeral, if that's what you mean, Lady," Elva replied softly. "She also told me that Eragon has set off to attempt to kill the Ra'zac." With a nasty smile, the girl added, "I wish him luck."

Nasuada seemed to be fighting the urge to shiver. She managed to maintain her composure, however.

"Very well," she said, "then we shall set off for Tronjheim at dawn." And with that she rose and left Elva's chilly room.

"Well, well, well, looks like we're in for a long journey!" Angela said. Solembum bared his teeth, apparently not sharing the witch's enthusiasm.

Elva wished dearly she could stay behind in Surda.

That evening Angela and the old crone that brought Elva her food assisted the girl in packing things for the journey tomorrow morning.

"You'll want some changes of clothes, of course, some of these pretty little dresses that were gifts from the Varden!" said the old crone nervously, clearly frightened of the child.

Elva narrowed her eyes. "Very well." She didn't really enjoy packing.

"You'll also need a lot of provisions, with your appetite, Elva," Angela said with a wink.

Just then there was another knock on the door. Lady Nasuada had returned.

"I just wish to inform you that Trianna and Arya managed to mentally contact Eragon and Saphira. ...It seems that Eragon, Saphira, and Roran have been captured by the Ra'zac and imprisoned inside Helgrind."

Solembum, now in werecat form, arched his back and hissed.

"That blockhead!" Angela cried. The crone merely placed a hand over her mouth.

"That fool," Elva said quietly.

"My thoughts exactly," Nasuada agreed. She paused, then said stiffly, "We cannot afford to lose Eragon and Saphira. They are our only hope against the Empire. Without them, the rebels don't stand a chance!"

"I understand the predicament," Elva said slowly. She thought perhaps it was best to keep her own selfish thoughts about her curse private right now.

"Now, I must attend a council meeting," Nasuada said, "to discuss Eragon's capture and decide whether or not it will be possible to save him, or if perhaps we can afford to allow him to try to save himself."

"And you want me to attend the meeting with you," Elva finished.

Nasuada paused, then said, "Precisely."

There was a moment of silence.

Elva said, "It is my duty, Lady Nasuada. I have pledged myself to serve you, so I really have no choice but to accompany you to your council meeting."

Nasuada smiled, although there was something in her smile that seemed fake. Elva sensed that Nasuada was still not completely comfortable around her. She could understand that; Nasuada was a perfectly normal human being, with no magical powers even. It was natural for her to fear a – she hated the word, though she felt it best described herself – _repulsive_ thing like Elva.

"Is there any chance that Solembum and I could accompany you?" Angela asked tentatively, and the werecat grinned.

Nasuada looked at the herbalist a moment, and then shook her head. "No, Angela, I'm sorry, but you and Solembum aren't council members, and King Orrin may be uncomfortable if you join us."

"Oh, Orrin is attending too, is he?" asked Angela.

"Aye, he is the king of Surda, why shouldn't he?" stated Nasuada rather matter-of-factly.

Angela shrugged. "I suppose you have a point there." She turned to Solembum, and she and the werecat seemed to be having a private mental conversation. After a moment Angela said, "Yes, I suppose you're right. It's best if Solembum and I don't attend. But please be careful with our little girl, I'd hate to have Eragon's curse force her to suffer too much."

Nasuada nodded, and her eyes flashed. "Elva has been fine attending council meetings before. I appreciate you looking after her, Angela, but you must remember, she has agreed to serve me."

"She's right, you know," Elva piped up.

Angela smiled. "Very well... but please do me a bit of a favor... express your feelings about Eragon's capture, and, if you must, call him a 'blockhead' or another suitable name, for he was a fool to tarry with the Ra'zac at such a young stage, Rider or not."

Nasuada nodded. "I shall honor your request." She then motioned for Elva to rise, which she did, and the woman swept out of the room with Elva at her heels.

A/N: Yep, I finally updated! - Please forgive me for taking so long... I had a terrible case of writer's block. A bit of this chapter was forced at first, but then by the end it had actually taken me someplace I hadn't expected to go. I hadn't originally planned on Eragon getting captured at Helgrind, and I hadn't planned on the council meeting. But, looks like that's what's gonna happen! I really liked how the end of this chapter sort of wrote itself, what a relief to be over my writer's block, ya know? Anyway, please review this chapter and tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 2

As soon as Nasuada and Elva had stepped outside of Elva's room, several guards placed themselves around Nasuada to guard her, as usual. The guards seemed to pay no attention to Elva. Wordlessly, Nasuada and her guards set off at a brisk pace, a pace that was a bit too fast for a small girl to keep up with, so Elva basically had to run in order to avoid being left behind.

Elva knew that Nasuada was aware of the fact that she couldn't keep up; the lady just didn't care. Though she treated Elva reasonably well, she would sometimes do small things to the girl that told Elva that Nasuada didn't quite like her, whether she even acknowledged these feelings or not. Elva knew that this subconscious dislike had everything to do with her curse.

After what seemed an eternity, the pretty much silent, uneventful walk was over, as Nasuada, Elva, and the guards had arrived at the council chamber. A pair of guards standing on either side of the large oak doors nodded at Lady Nasuada, then swung the doors open, admitting Elva and Nasuada.

Pain and worry over the death of Hrothgar and the capture of Eragon and Saphira washed over Elva immediately; it was emanating from everyone in the room. Elva gazed at all of the faces in the room, turned toward the doorway at the arrival of the final council member. Few seemed to pay attention to Elva. They were used to her now. Or, at least, they pretended to be. Elva, clad in a dark shroud, pulled her hood forward to throw her face mysteriously into shadow.

"Nasuada!" said King Orrin, spreading his arms in greeting. "We have been waiting for you!"

"I see. I apologize for the delay, Orrin," Nasuada said, giving the council a slight curtsy before taking her place by Orrin at the table. Elva followed and crouched on the floor a few paces behind Nasuada's chair.

"Alright, now that all members of the council are present, we may get down to business," Orrin said as he stood up to address the council. "We are here today to discuss the capture of the Dragon Rider, Eragon, his dragon, Saphira, and his cousin, Roran. As everyone is already aware, Eragon and Saphira are the rebels' only hope, especially now that we know that Galbatorix has another Dragon Rider at his side, Murtagh and his red dragon, Thorn. With two ultimately powerful Dragon Riders on the side of the Empire, we cannot afford to lose the only one that we have, which is why we must consider lending our assistance to the Ra'zac's captives and attempt to rescue them. I say attempt because, of course, as we all know, very few men have ever stood a chance against the Ra'zac."

There was a murmur of agreement from the council.

"I don't think we can risk our soldiers for the sake of two men and a dragon," stated Elessari. "After all, we've already lost enough men to the Battle of the Burning Plains as it is!"

King Orrin nodded in agreement. "That is a very fair point, Elessari. However–"

"You speak as if Eragon and Saphira don't matter, Elessari! You don't think we can 'risk our soldiers for the sake of two men and a dragon,' what kind of talk is that? Do you not understand that without Eragon and Saphira, there is an absolute guarantee that Galbatorix will crush us single-handedly? Can you not grasp the fact that they are our _only_ hope, Elessari?" cried Jormundur.

"I agree whole-heartedly with Jormundur," Nasuada said. "Eragon is my vassal, and you all need him just as much as I do, no matter how much you may hate that." She glared at Elessari.

Elva shifted her weight. She was quite uncomfortable on the floor. She didn't quite understand why Nasuada expected her to attend these council meetings...

"Right, well, as I was going to say prior to being interrupted," said King Orrin, throwing a glance at Jormundur, and then Nasuada, "I personally feel that it is imperative that we attempt to rescue Eragon. Not only is he an invaluable asset to Surda and the Varden, he is a very powerful magician who's power I could certainly use to further my experimentation."

"But Orrin," said Nasuada, "surely you feel that there are more important things than your experiments."

"Well, yes, of course, Nasuada. But I didn't say that I merely wanted him back because of his ability to assist me with my experiments, I also pointed out that he is an invaluable asset to the Varden and Surda," replied Orrin, sounding slightly annoyed.

Falberd tapped his knuckles against the table. "I stand behind Lady Nasuada, and agree that Eragon and his companions should be rescued. However, I also agree with Elessari's point; we can't risk our soldiers after we've already lost so many men. If we were to send those who remain, and they were taken by the Ra'zac, then we would have no one left to fight."

Sabrae stated calmly, "You make it sound as if hundreds of people need to go battle the Ra'zac just to rescue an already able magic user. I think Eragon is quite capable of escaping himself; he just needs a bit of a helping hand. I am thinking that if we had another person just as magically powerful as he, then that person could go assist Eragon and have him free in no time."

Umérth cleared his throat. "A person of strength equal to a Rider? Where would we find this person? Surely not in Du Vrangr Gata! And even if we did locate them, who's to say they wouldn't just turn their back and refuse to go on a rescue mission and fight the Ra'zac?"

"I will go."

It was Arya who had spoken. Everyone turned to look at the elf.

"A-Arya?" said Orrin. "Are you sure?"

Arya raised a slanted eyebrow. "What, do you think me incapable? I am an elf, therefore I am as powerful as Eragon, if not more so. I am the strongest magic user you currently have at your disposal, and I am more than you could have hoped for. Eragon rescued me once, from Gil'ead. Now I shall return the favor."

The council members exchanged looks and there was a bit of muttering.

Finally, Nasuada addressed Arya. "I agree that you are the best hope we have. I support your wish to go to Helgrind, and I sincerely hope that Eragon's blockheadedness does not hinder you once you reach him."

Arya raised her slanted eyebrows at this, and her green catlike eyes sparkled with genuine amusement.

The other council members had mixed reactions to Nasuada's statement.

"'Blockheadedness?'" repeated Jormundur in blank wonder.

Sabrae's eyes, meanwhile, flashed in anger. "How dare you speak of our Rider that way? Your own vassal! What an insult! Forgive me, Lady, but–"

"I was merely repeating Angela's take on it," Nasuada cut across her. Sabrae blinked, but didn't continue her rant, although the gaze that beheld Nasuada was very cold.

"I have to agree that 'blockhead' might be a very good word to give to our Rider," said Elessari. "Angela has a point. Eragon was very foolish indeed to fly to Helgrind." Her eyes were glinting.

"But Eragon didn't have a choice! He needed to rescue his cousin's bride, and besides, wasn't one of the Riders' old duties to eradicate the Ra'zac?" said Jormundur.

"That is true, I suppose," Elessari scowled, "but even if eradicating the Ra'zac was a job for Eragon alone, he failed, didn't he? If anything the Ra'zac are going to eradicate _him_!"

There was more muttering amongst the council. Finally Sabrae said coolly, "The Rider is young. He is experienced, yes, but not nearly as experienced as the Riders of old. And during the Golden Age, before the Fall, when did one young Rider ever set off on his own to fight a Ra'zac? Only a fool would have done such a thing; the Riders would have traveled in numbers."

"But Eragon is the only Dragon Rider we have," said Falberd. "He couldn't take another Rider with him to help; there is no other Rider!"

"Precisely," murmured Sabrae. "How could he have been expected to succeed? He needs another like him to help him, as I said before! He should have taken Arya with him when he and his cousin left Surda, then he wouldn't even be in this predictament!"

Arya smiled coolly. "Thank you, Sabrae."

Sabrae inclined her head to the elf as Umérth said, "But what of the dragon, Saphira? She is young; she can carry only a limited amount of weight on her shoulders whilst remaining airborne. If Arya had gone along to start with, Saphira would have already had three passengers, and don't forget, that would be before the captive was even rescued!"

"But the captive is not rescued anyway, if her rescuers have become captives themselves," pointed out Falberd. "Arya is an elf; elves can move very far, very quickly, and on their own, on the ground. How do you expect Arya to get to Helgrind? She can ride a horse or she can run; since Saphira is already captured, you know that Arya isn't going to fly."

There was more murmuring amongst the council members.

"Orrin, what is your input?" asked Nasuada, for the king of Surda hadn't spoken for a while.

Orrin glanced at her nervously. "Well– I, ah, I must agree with you, Nasuada. Arya may in fact be our only hope of bringing our blockheaded Rider and his dragon back. Let's see... shall we vote on it?"

The council murmured in agreement.

"Very good," said King Orrin. "All in favor of sending Arya to Helgrind on a rescue mission for Eragon and Saphira?"

He raised his own hand, as did Nasuada, Jormundur, Sabrae, Falberd, and Arya herself.

Sabrae gave Elessari a venomous look. "How do you expect to regain our Rider? There is no other way then to send the elf!"

Elessari, eyes narrowed, slowly raised her hand. Umérth, being the only one now who had not agreed, quickly raised his hand, too.

"It appears to be unanimous," said Orrin, eyebrows slightly raised at Umérth.

"Then Arya shall leave for Helgrind tomorrow!" said Sabrae. Nasuada and Arya nodded in agreement.

"It's settled, then," said Orrin. "Arya, I shall lend you a noble horse–"

"Thank you, but there is no need," Arya cut in. "I am an elf, after all; I will get there faster if I just run."

King Orrin raised his eyebrows. "Very well, then. Do go as soon as possible, if you please. We need our Rider back!"

Arya nodded. "I shall leave at dawn."

Orrin nodded in return. "That is appropriate. Meeting adjourned!"

And the Council of Elders, King Orrin, Nasuada, and Arya rose. Elva, her legs cramped, scrambled up, too, and hastened after Lady Nasuada as she swept from the room.

A/N: Whew, it feels good to finally have this chapter complete. Took forever to write, I know. Sorry it took so long to update, but writing a council meeting was a bit tougher than I had anticipated. Hopefully the next chapter will come more easily! Please review! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 3

Elva now sat on the floor of Nasuada's quarters, eating. Nasuada was nearby, pacing back and forth. She was telling Farica, her servant, about the council meeting. Elva was barely listening.

"I am sure, my Lady, that Arya is more than capable of rescuing the Dragon Rider," Farica was saying. "The council made an excellent choice–"

Just then there was a pounding on the door, and a guard called in, "Trianna is here to see you, my Lady."

"Let her in," called Nasuada.

They heard the door open, then a moment later Trianna entered the room. The sorceress bowed in the dwarvish fashion, and said, "Lady, Elessari sent me to speak with you." She looked very displeased with the fact that a sorceress of her caliber, leader of Du Vrangr Gata, was being used as a mere messenger.

"I see," said Nasuada. "And what does Elessari wish to tell me?"

"Elessari thinks that the girl Elva should accompany Arya to Helgrind," replied Trianna.

Elva felt a terrible lurch in her stomach.

Nasuada merely looked at the sorceress for a moment or so. Then she said, quite coldly, "That is not possible."

"Very well," said Trianna, bowing again, "but Elessari thought that it might be–"

"Elva cannot travel to Helgrind," Nasuada cut across her. "She is just a child, and you and Elessari know of her curse, Trianna! How could Elva survive such an adventure?"

Elva suddenly felt a rush of affection for Nasuada as she defended her.

"Besides," Nasuada continued, "I need Elva here with me."

_Of course_, thought Elva, _I am nothing but a tool_.

Trianna drew herself up to her full height. "Of course you need Elva here with you; if another attempt was made on your life, and the girl was not here to warn you or protect you, you would run the risk of actually getting killed! But you must consider; Elva could be a crucial assistance to Arya, she could help Arya find Eragon and help her avoid injury while rescuing the Rider. You have all of these guards here, protecting you, ready to die for you, not to mention me, and you don't feel secure unless you have this little girl!"

"Elva isn't just any little girl, and you know it," Nasuada retaliated, and Elva could hear the hotness in her voice; Trianna's words had stung her; there might just be a grain of truth in them.

"What of Arya's safety? Consider Eragon, your vassal! Arya is capable of protecting Elva if she requires protection, and with Elva's abilities, Arya will know how to avoid danger!" Trianna argued.

Nasuada's eyes flashed. She simply stood there for a while, and Elva realized with a jolt that Nasuada was now actually considering sending her to Helgrind.

"Farica," said Nasuada, "go fetch Angela."

"Yes, my Lady," said Farica, curtsying. Then she left her mistress's quarters as quickly as she could.

Trianna and Nasuada waited. Trianna smirked. "Perhaps you're seeing the light, then, Lady?" she asked.

Nasuada didn't reply.

After a little while Farica returned, Angela and the werecat, Solembum, in his human form, in tow.

"My Lady," said Farica, curtsying.

"Thank you, Farica," said Nasuada, then she turned to Angela. "Trianna has told me that Elessari thinks it would be wise for Elva to accompany Arya to Helgrind on her rescue mission. I have opposed this idea."

"Well, good!" said Angela, her eyes widening. "That would almost surely be suicide for poor Elva!" She turned to Trianna. "Do you agree with Elessari, or are you just her messenger?"

"I do support her idea," said Trianna, apparently not wanting to call herself a mere messenger.

"Well, how can you and Elessari possibly think that Elva can handle this?" cried Angela. "The girl lives inside so that she does not run the risk of Eragon's spell forcing her to do something terribly harmful to herself! She would not even be alive now if she had ventured outside during the Battle of the Burning Plains!"

Trianna frowned. "But this rescue mission is not like the Battle of the Burning Plains. At the Burning Plains, there were many soldiers, hundreds, thousands of men, all fighting each other. This is just one elf infiltrating a mountain to rescue a couple of men, a woman, and a dragon."

Angela's dark curls danced as she shook her head at the sorceress. "You think that battle will not ensue? Eragon's original plan was to kill the Ra'zac when he and his cousin got inside Helgrind. You think he is going to just give that up after Arya sets him free?"

"But what if Arya is captured?" retaliated the sorceress. "If the Ra'zac managed to capture a Rider and his dragon, do you not think it is possible for them to capture an elf as well? Arya has been captured before! She could avoid getting herself captured again if she had Elva in tow to tell her if an enemy was approaching and what that enemy was about to do!"

"What if Arya is not able to act against that enemy quickly enough?" cried Angela. "Eragon's spell could force Elva to prevent Arya from hurting an enemy if Arya didn't react immediately!"

The two women stood there, sorceress and witch, glaring hotly at each other.

Solembum caught Elva's eye and grinned, baring his sharp teeth.

Elva began to consider Trianna's words. It was very true that Elva could be a great asset to Arya. She also took into consideration that the sooner she met Eragon again, the sooner she could try once more to get him to remove the curse he had placed on her.

The women had begun arguing again, Angela and Nasuada against Trianna, and Elva cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"I shall accompany the elf Arya to Helgrind," Elva said delicately.

The women stared at her for a moment. A small smile curved Trianna's lips.

"You can't–" Angela began, but Elva cut across her.

"Can't I?" said Elva coldly. "The sorceress Trianna has made several good points. I could be quite useful to Arya in rescuing Eragon, and I could help her to avoid capture. And–"

Elva stopped, deciding that perhaps it wasn't the best time to mention the removal of her curse. But judging by the way Angela looked at her, the witch knew what she had been about to say.

"Please," said Elva, "just give me this chance."

* * *

The next morning, Arya and Elva left for Helgrind. Nasuada had eventually agreed to send the child with the elf. A pack had been rigged up magically by Trianna; Arya was going to carry Elva on her back.

"Are you alright?" the elf asked the girl.

"Oh, yes," replied Elva dryly. "Just tell me...did you pack enough food? I'm hungry."

"But we haven't even been gone an hour–"

"I require lots and lots of food," said Elva sternly. The elf sighed and produced a loaf of bread and handed it to the girl.

"Thank you," said Elva, and devoured the bread in only a few bites.

A/N: Yep, I updated again...hope you like this chapter, please review! Thanks!


	5. Chapter 4

The time passed easily for Elva when it was spent in Arya's company. The girl had never realized it before, but elves' emotions worked much differently than those of humans. The few times that Elva had been in Arya's presence prior to this journey, there had been humans all around, and their emotions were enough to keep Elva occupied without her noticing the difference in the elf. However, now that they were alone together it was easy for Elva to notice this, and she decided to mention it to the elf when they stopped to eat in the evening.

"You feel pain differently than humans do. And you keep it well hidden. I can sense that there is a great sorrow and sense of loss inside you, but I cannot read anymore of you."

Arya was silent for a long time before responding to Elva's statement.

"It is true, that elves feel things differently than humans do. We are very good at keeping our true feelings concealed from others, making ourselves… unreadable. However, I will confess to you that I have placed a magical barrier upon myself to prevent you from using the full extent of your abilities on me."

"Of course," Elva replied softly, growing slightly colder toward the elf now. "I would not expect you to have to endure the discomfort that my curse seems to cause people. I should have realized that elves, though their minds are different from humans', would despise me just as much as anyone." She bit into the hard loaf of bread that Arya had given her, wishing to say no more. She was angry with the elf for despising her as any human would, and her temper was not helped by the fact that Arya refused to provide her with meat. Bread and plants were all that Elva was allowed to eat while traveling with Arya and meat was what she normally thrived on.

Arya's slanted eyebrows met as she frowned. "I did not mean to offend you, and I apologize if I have. But I believed when I cast the spell that the journey would be easier for both of us if you were not constantly under the pressure of your curse. I know that if we encounter any humans on the way you will have to feel their pain and have the urge to alleviate their suffering, but at least with me that urge will not be impossible to resist."

The elf paused, then added softly, "The casting of the spell had nothing to do with the way I feel about you as a person. I have seen very little of you, and know very little of you, so it is impossible for me to have any personal emotions for you, whether they are positive or negative."

Elva kept her head bowed over her food for a while, considering Arya's words. She decided to appreciate Arya's honesty, and said in a low voice, "Very well. You were right in casting your spell, and I appreciate your consideration for my welfare. I forgive you, elf."

Arya smiled. "Thank you."

They were quiet for another moment, and then Elva said bluntly, "You are not used to children, are you?"

"Why do say that?" asked Arya as she peeled apart the leaves of some herb that Elva was not familiar with, but was apparently an elfish delicacy.

Elva grinned, something she very rarely did. The expression made her look truly childlike, and it was very becoming on her. "You have seemed very awkward around me. I thought in the beginning that it was because of my curse, but that is not the only reason, is it?"

"No," Arya replied, and then sighed. "There are very few children in Du Weldenvarden. Because elves are immortal, we do not need to produce offspring often, as humans do. Thus, child birth is not something that we hold lightly. Very few elves have children. The birth of a child between two parents is the greatest symbol of true love in our culture."

"So you must not have found your true love, because you have not borne any children," Elva said pointedly.

Arya took a moment to eat part of the herb in her hand before answering quietly, "No, I have not."

Elva smiled again, a soft smile, not like the cold one she used when she was with the Varden. "You will someday."

Arya frowned. "I thought that my spell was working, and that you would not have any urges to comfort me."

"It is working," Elva said, tilting her head back to look up at the moon. Her dark bangs shifted, revealing the silver dragon mark on her brow. "I can still choose to be kind, although I seldom get the opportunity to choose because of my curse." She did not even bother to try to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"We will rescue Eragon soon," Arya assured her. "He will try his best to undo your curse, and perhaps you can be a normal human again."

"Perhaps," said Elva, and now the sweet demeanor she had just developed was gone, replaced by a hard glint in her violet eyes. "And perhaps he will not try to undo my curse. Or perhaps he will fail, and I will never be normal." Her fingernails dug into the loaf of bread she was still holding. "Or perhaps…" she whispered, and now the glint in her eyes had become almost wicked, "perhaps he will have to pay for what he has done to me!"

Arya kept her face expressionless during Elva's sudden mood swing, as she had done for most of the journey so far. However, Elva caught the elf's face later that evening when Arya thought that she had fallen asleep. The elf looked troubled at Elva's vicious words.

_Let her think what she pleases_, Elva thought smugly, _she does not understand my pain. I will do whatever it takes to make Eragon suffer for what he has done to me, even if my actions alter the fate of all of Alagaesia_!

And with these pleasant thoughts, Elva finally did drift off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 5

Another fortnight passed without much incident as Arya and Elva traveled. A few times they had come very close to humans; however these encounters were rare as Arya was extremely skilled at moving around undetected. Only once did they dangerously skirt an encampment of Galbatorix's soldiers. Elva had to retch to resist her curse and keep herself from going to the aid of a soldier of the Empire who was being beaten by his captain, but after the encampment was behind them Arya found herself running through a wide open plain with Elva on her back, far between any cities or towns.

"How much farther away is Helgrind?" Elva asked. She was actually somewhat enjoying traveling; she had spent most of her life indoors, hidden away from the problems of the world for her own safety. Out in the open, where her curse wasn't such a problem, she was enjoying the change of scenery and the little sense of adventure she was experiencing.

"We are almost there," Arya said, glancing up at the sun. She had been running for several hours without stopping, and yet she was not even out of breath. "I will be running for about another day… maybe two. But we are very close to Dras Leona."

Elva smiled thinly as she pictured Eragon trapped inside Helgrind. _Such a buffoon_, Elva thought maliciously. _All of the Varden and Surda put so much faith into him, yet does Eragon ever do anything right? He cursed me when he meant to bless me, because he did not understand the mechanics of the language he was speaking in. An unforgivable mistake! And then he failed and lost his sword when he fought the other Rider, Murtagh. Clearly Murtagh's skills in battle were superior. And now he has gotten himself trapped inside Helgrind when he intended to rescue his cousin's bride! Mistake after mistake, failure after failure… and yet he is the only hope the rebels have of conquering Galbatorix. It appears that the rebels are doomed!_

Arya could not see Elva's face, and therefore did not see Elva's violet eyes widen with dark anticipation as she began to plot what she would do when she saw Eragon again. So the girl was quite surprised when Arya said in a very icy tone, "I realize that you hold a grudge against Eragon, and I do not blame you for doing so; however, if you believe that it would be a wise idea to try to punish him for what he has done to you, then please be aware that I will not stand by and watch you ruin our last hope of defeating Galbatorix."

Elva blinked. "Because of the spell you cast at the start of our journey, I cannot sense what prompted you to say that, elf."

Arya was silent for so long that Elva thought she wouldn't answer. Finally, the elf said, "You have made it very clear to me during these weeks that we have been traveling together how you feel about Eragon. Forgive me for saying this, but I can tell from what I have gleaned of your personality that if Eragon is unable to remove your curse, then you will not just turn around and walk away."

"You are right," Elva whispered, eyes narrowing. "He has stolen all of my innocence from me." Her voice developed a manic note to it. "Fate had already intended for me to have a difficult life; my parents died just after I was born, leaving me an orphan. I cannot remember them. I was left with an old crone who will probably die before I reach adulthood, if I can even grow up under this miserable curse." She began to breathe heavily. "And then… _Eragon _decided to bestow his _blessing_ upon me."

"Eragon made a terrible mistake, but his intentions were good. It was because fate had granted you so little that Eragon bestowed the blessing; he wanted to help you have a better life than you would have had," Arya responded, almost imploringly. The ice in her voice had melted. She now seemed sympathetic toward the child, but still a bit wary of her.

"He should have waited," Elva said simply. "He should have waited until he had better mastered the Ancient Language, and tried to bless me then."

"Circumstances would not have allowed that," Arya replied, but the girl would not be swayed.

And so the two travelers continued on in silence.

* * *

It was very late in the afternoon, and the sun was about to begin the final stage in its cycle. Arya began to slow down her running as the silhouette of a dark, ominous shape came into view on the horizon.

"That is Helgrind," the elf told Elva. The girl gazed with wonderment at the impressive mountain that stood before them. Helgrind slowly seemed to grow the closer they got to it.

Finally, as the sun was setting, they stopped for the night. Arya wanted to take a bit of time to analyze the situation and put together a plan of action before they proceeded any further. Elva, however, could not keep her wide eyes off of Helgrind. The structure had such a terrible beauty to it… beautiful, yet frightening. Elva had never actually been placed in a situation that tested her own bravery before. Now she began to feel intimidated for the first time ever in her short life. All she had cared about up until this point was having Eragon remove her curse and getting her revenge on him for cursing her in the first place. But now, seeing firsthand how small she really was compared to what she was going up against….

"How wide is the range of your ability?" Arya asked, interrupting Elva's thoughts. "Can you sense the Ra'zac inside Helgrind?"

Elva did not answer immediately. She closed her eyes and focused on the mountain, as well as the city that she knew was on its other side, built in its shadow. She was trying to feel the pain of the people that she knew were only about a league away. However, she couldn't. She could not feel a thing. She opened her eyes again, slowly, and shook her head at the elf. She couldn't keep a small smile off of her face; despite the fact that her ability to sense people's weaknesses was her whole purpose on this journey, and she was useless without it, she could never help feeling happy and relieved to be unable to sense anybody's pain. It was solitude from a terrible burden that nobody could truly understand unless they were unfortunate enough to have experienced it themselves, which no one was… except for Elva, of course.

Arya sighed as she gazed at the Ra'zac's lair. Her slanted eyebrows met in the middle of her forehead as she frowned. "We will have to get closer, then…" she murmured.

Elva swallowed. "How much closer?"

Arya smiled thinly. "It is very frightening, isn't it?"

Elva scowled and fiercely shook her head. Her bangs swung back and forth on her forehead, briefly revealing bits of the shining dragon mark on her brow. "I can handle anything," she snapped. "Nothing can be worse than this curse and the burden I bear because of it!"

Slight amusement danced in Arya's green, catlike eyes. "No, I suppose not," she replied. The elf stood. "Shall we go, then?"

Elva jerked her head in a nod. "Aye."

"Then here we go," Arya said as the pair faced Helgrind together. And, keeping to the shadows and moving as silently and carefully as possible, they moved even closer to Helgrind… the Gates of Death.


	7. Chapter 6

Twisted…evil. Loneliness…lost love. Panic. Terror. Severe physical pain. Death. Agony. Then…

_Stop it_, Elva thought desperately, _no…I cannot listen to this…cannot concentrate…._ She trembled and vomited on the ground beside her, using all of her will and strength to resist going to the aide of the second slave that was facing death as a sacrifice to the Ra'zac from Dras Leona tonight. Another wave of agony shook her as the slave passed into the void just as the first had moments before. She sighed as she realized that the Ra'zac had no intention of killing anyone else that night, but although this was very good news, it was not completely relieving for her; she could feel the tormented emotions of Eragon, Roran, and Katrina inside Helgrind. She could also sense Saphira, but got no actual emotional reading from her; her curse did not appear to be affected by dragons.

"I know this is very difficult," Arya whispered into the girl's ear, "and I am very sorry for putting you through this ordeal. However, I need you to focus on the task at hand–"

"I know," Elva hissed, jaded, "I will resist my curse to the best of my ability, but if I could control it I would have no use for Eragon!"

Arya drew a steady breath, then said so quietly that Elva could not have heard if the elf's lips were not up against her ear, "I realize this, and I appreciate your effort; but I am only reminding you to focus because I very unfortunately have to distract you and torment you further." Arya paused, in case the girl retaliated, then: "I am going to lift the spell that I cast at the start of our journey that prevents you from sensing my emotions and responding to my pain. I must do this because it is the only way that you will be able to warn me if harm is to come my way."

Elva nodded; it was pitch dark, but she knew that the elf's eyes were sharp beyond the capacity of any human's sight, and could therefore see her gesture. The girl had anticipated this moment when Arya would make herself vulnerable to Elva's curse again, and was not surprised. "Do what you must," she whispered.

Arya stepped back and muttered a stream of words in the Ancient Language under her breath. A moment passed, and then her muttering ceased. The elf's concern for Eragon washed over Elva like a tidal wave. The girl grimaced.

"You care for him too much," Elva noted. Arya stiffened and refused to say anything to that. Or maybe she just had no idea how to respond.

The elf began to move along the perimeter of Helgrind, Elva following silently in her wake. Arya would do all of the infiltrating and fighting (if it came to that). Elva's only job was to alert Arya of danger and tell her their foes weaknesses, if necessary. This was all Elva was really useful for, after all; being a child, she was not strong enough or large enough to take on any foes, and she would do her best to stay out of Arya's way in battle.

Eventually Arya discovered a way inside the mountain, and the pair became consumed by solid darkness as they entered the cold tunnel at the base of Helgrind. They moved forward, navigating blindly for several minutes, until Arya stopped and cursed under her breath.

"Even an elf cannot see in this blackness," she muttered, then conjured a ball of green light to hover over her palm and illuminate the narrow tunnel walls. "Keep your senses alert," she warned Elva, "because this beacon of light will make us easy targets if the Ra'zac happen to notice it."

Elva followed the elf closely as the tunnel slanted upward and they proceeded steadily onward, gradually getting deeper and higher inside Helgrind. She tried not to focus on the feelings of anguish from the lovers Roran and Katrina; the couple was apparently not being held captive in the same cell and each believed that the other was probably dead. Their loneliness and heartache was beginning to eat away at Elva's resolve. If they were not killed or rescued soon, their pain would drive Elva mad.

At last the tunnel began to widen and the ground became level. Arya held her globe of light up higher to reveal more of their surroundings. They were in a cavern, although it was too dark to tell exactly how high or large the cavern was. Arya drew her sword with her free left hand and glanced at Elva questioningly.

"I do not sense any danger, but there is something over there," Elva whispered, and pointed into the darkness of the cavern. She was trying to block out the pain of Roran and Katrina's emotions, and as a result of her closed mind she could not identify what the creature was. If sudden danger occurred, however, she was sure that her curse would react to it – or rather, force _her_ to react.

Arya tilted her head in a nod and crept forward in the direction that Elva had pointed, her right hand stretched out in front of her to light the way, her left hand gripping her sword, poised for attack. Elva followed her, but kept herself a few feet behind the elf in case the creature she sensed in the darkness suddenly turned hostile.

A dark shape began to move just outside the edge of Arya's light. The elf stopped in her tracks, then slowly crouched in a defensive position, raising her sword. The creature, apparently aroused, made strange shuffling and clinking sounds in its movement, but didn't seem to be coming any closer.

"Are you sure there is no danger?" Arya asked in a loud whisper, without turning her head to face Elva.

Before the girl could answer the elf, however, she felt a familiar consciousness brush against the edges of her own, and a powerful female voice answered for her, projecting the answer into the thoughts of Elva and Arya:

_Yes, there is danger…but not right here. Not from me._

Arya and Elva gasped and hurried forward. The green light in Arya's hand fell upon the creature at last, and reflected off of the gorgeous sapphire scales of…

"Saphira!" cried Elva, feeling like a normal child for a moment in her excitement. As much as she hated Eragon for what he had done to her, Elva couldn't help but feel indebted toward Saphira for giving her the dragon mark on her brow. The mark made her special, and in a good way, not in the way that Eragon's curse did. Elva liked Saphira, and admired the dragon's beauty and power.

_Arya, Elva,_ the dragon said, _it is good to see you again… now please, help release me so that I can save Eragon and tear those vermin limb from limb!_

It was at these words that Elva realized why Saphira had made clinking noises when she moved: there were shackles on all four of her legs, her wings were chained to her sides, and there was an iron muzzle over her snout!

Arya sheathed her sword and crouched at the dragon's side, whispering words in the Ancient Language and magically removing the shackles around Saphira's legs. Then she stood and released the dragon from her other bonds, finally freeing Saphira's face from the Ra'zac's muzzle.

The dragon stood and shook like a wet dog that had just been given a bath, and then flexed her jaws and her wings, recovering from her bonds. _Thank you, Arya,_ she said, and hummed contentedly for a moment. Then her eyes flashed and she growled.

_Now we must save Eragon! I can feel him somewhere above us, _Saphira said.

"We will save him now," replied Arya, "however I am not sure if you will be able to get to him, Saphira. If the other tunnels in this place are as narrow as the one we followed here–"

_I can get to him,_ argued Saphira, and Elva knew there was no changing the dragon's mind or keeping her from her Rider any longer. _I will tear through the rock with my teeth and claws if I must._

"Aye," Arya said with a small smile. "I suppose–"

It was at that moment that Elva's curse forced her to throw herself into Arya, knocking the elf out of the way of some dark being that had just appeared from another tunnel leading into the cavern.

Saphira roared as the creature flew at them, shrieking piercingly so that Elva had to cover her ears with her hands. Saphira leapt forward and met the creature head-on, snapping her jaws at the thing. Elva had never seen the likes of this creature before. Was this a Ra'zac?

Saphira breathed a jet of fire at the thing, burning its chest and one of its wings. It shrieked again, this time in agony, and its pain twisted Elva's mind. Tears streamed from her violet eyes, and an agonizing howl of her own escaped from her lips as she fainted.


	8. Chapter 7

When Elva finally came to, all she could see was complete darkness. She sat up, feeling sick, and numbly realized that she was alone. She could not feel Arya's emotions, nor could she sense Saphira or that Ra'zac creature that had attacked them.

She struggled to her feet and stumbled forward, her arms stretched out before her. Fear gripped her as she realized that she may never find her way out of here alive!

As she moved forward, her small legs ran into something and she fell. Feeling around blindly, she realized that the thing she had tripped over was a person. Brushing her fingertips across shoulders and hair, she found the face of the person and felt their pointed ears. It was Arya.

"Arya," Elva whispered, shaking her shoulders; she could feel Arya's light breathing and knew that the elf was only unconscious. She tried to use the powers of her curse to tell her how to wake Arya, but a sudden piercing headache caused her to lose her senses for a moment. Blinking in the darkness, Elva tried to rid herself of the pain and made to stand up again. However, as she did so the floor of the cavern shook and her head filled with pain once more.

Elva fell to her knees, landing on Arya's ribcage accidentally. The elf began to cough as Elva rolled off of her. The girl could feel Arya sitting up beside her. Immediately the elf's emotions washed over her: anger, pain, concern….

"What has happened?" Arya asked, and Elva could feel her distress.

"I– Well…" Elva hesitated. Usually she knew exactly what to say, because Eragon's spell told her how to comfort people and steer them in a direction away from pain. The fact that she had no answer for once made her feel extremely vulnerable.

"Saphira attacked that… creature, that Ra'zac, and its pain was intense beyond what I have ever experienced… I fainted," Elva finished quietly, hanging her head, although she knew that Arya could not see her under this blanket of darkness.

Arya whispered some ancient words and her sphere of green light glowed over her palm once more, illuminating the small patch of stone floor where she and Elva sat. The elf stood and began walking around slowly, her hand stretched out before her holding the light, trying to illuminate the rest of the cavern.

"That was not a Ra'zac," she told Elva quietly as the green light fell on the shackles and chains that had bound Saphira. "That was a Lethrblaka. When Ra'zac are born, they are– "

The cavern floor shook again, cutting her off. The elf turned to Elva, her green catlike eyes looking very eerie in light that matched their color. She was stone still and silent for a moment, then she said quietly, "That shaking was caused by Saphira; she says she is fighting the Lethrblaka. It is up to us to save Eragon. Come." She led Elva along the cavern wall, searching for a way out.

Elva could barely resist the pain of the Lethrblaka that Saphira was battling, and it took all of her will and strength to resist trying to go to its aide or passing out again. It took everything she had to try to focus her mind someplace else, and when she finally succeeded for a moment's relief, she realized that she and Arya were not alone.

"Ra'zac!" Elva cried, and tackled the elf, dragging her to the ground as the dark creature hissed and moved lightning quick under the cover of the shadows toward Arya's green light. Its black beak snapped shut where Arya's throat had been a fraction of a second before.

This creature was different than the winged monster that was battling with Saphira, Elva was able to note, as the cavern floor shook yet again. In the few seconds that the thing was illuminated by the green glow in Arya's hand, Elva could see that it was some hooded beetle-like creature as black as the wall of darkness that surrounded them.

"The darkness makes it stronger… but if you rip out its stomach, it will die," Elva told Arya quickly, using her curse to read the creature's strengths and weaknesses.

Without a word Arya lunged at the Ra'zac. The dark creature made strange hissing and clicking noises as it hid in shadow outside the radius of Arya's light; then it produced a knife and flung it at her. Elva could not see the knife, nor could Arya; however, Elva's curse told her it was there, alerting the girl to the danger that Arya was in.

"Duck to your left!" Elva cried, and Arya did so quite fluidly. The Ra'zac's weapon hit the cavern floor with a clatter, landing several feet from where Arya crouched. It was the second time in several seconds that Elva had saved the elf's life.

"Barzul," Arya cursed suddenly, using profanity of the dwarves, "My sword!" She had just realized that she did not retrieve her blade when she awoke from her unconsciousness.

Elva immediately threw herself to the ground, crawling on her hands and knees, feeling around for the sword. She sensed the Ra'zac ready to turn on her, and she could not move out of the way fast enough. "Arya!" she cried, and as she lifted herself into a crouch in preparation to desperately and futilely try to escape the hissing and clicking Ra'zac, Arya cried out a word in the Ancient Language and struck the Ra'zac with magic. Elva missed seeing the spell actually hit the creature, but the flash of light that it created was enough to illuminate the entire cavern for an instant, and Elva saw where Arya's sword lay. She stood and scurried toward the weapon, trying to reach it before darkness fell again, but the cavern floor shook once more and she fell as the light went out.

"Barzul," she muttered, but continued to crawl in the direction of the sword. She heard the Ra'zac hiss and opened her mouth to warn Arya again, but the elf reacted faster than Elva could even draw her breath.

"Garjzla!" cried Arya, and there was another burst of light. The Ra'zac screeched in pain and clicked rapidly. Elva, her back to the scene, resisted the urge to get involved in the fight on either side and instead threw herself at Arya's sword. Her hand closed around the hilt.

The cavern shook, and Elva knew that this was the last time; she could sense the battle raging between Saphira and the Lethrblaka come to an end as Saphira ripped the creature's body apart. Mortal pain ripped through Elva, but ceased abruptly as the creature died. She flinched as its life extinguished, then tightened her grip on Arya's sword. She tried to lift it with both hands, but the weapon was just too heavy for a child's small hands.

"I have your sword!" Elva yelled, twisting her body so that she could try to see Arya and keep her hold on the sword at the same time. Without a word, Arya and the Ra'zac leapt in unison toward her; Arya was going for the sword and the Ra'zac was trying to cut her off.

The instinct of Eragon's curse pulled Elva toward the lightning-fast fighters. She moved awkwardly as she dragged the sword with her, and she was far too slow. She watched as the Ra'zac, wielding another blade, swiped at Arya. The creature hissed as the elf shouted, "Skolir!" and the blade only just missed her, as if it had bounced off an invisible shield that protected the elf's body. Arya threw herself at the Ra'zac then, and all magical light went out. Despite the blind darkness, Elva could hear the Ra'zac clicking and Arya's struggles and knew that the pair was only feet away from her. She felt Arya's consciousness brush her mind, wanting to make a break for her sword, and then the elf was upon her, still locked into her scuffle with the Ra'zac.

"My sword," Arya gasped, and then Elva could feel the Ra'zac strike the elf in the darkness; it hissed in frustration, apparently deflected by Arya's magical ward again. Elva hefted the sword, and in a rush of adrenaline, hurled herself in the midst of the fight. The blade of Arya's sword screeched loudly as its sharp edge scraped against the stone floor.

Elva gritted her teeth as she finally lifted the blade, her arms shaking with the weight, pure adrenaline being the only power behind the weapon. She thrust the sword blindly above her head and felt a rush of the Ra'zac's pain as the blade embedded itself deep in the creature's stomach. The Ra'zac let out an earsplitting screech that tore through Elva's skull and she collapsed, shaking and retching on the ground. Liquid poured down on her: the Ra'zac's blood, drenching her.

The Ra'zac clicked its beak rapidly as its body shuddered and convulsed. It collapsed on the ground and Arya kicked it out of the way. The pain that her boot added to the Ra'zac's mortal wounds shot through Elva fiercely, and then the Ra'zac gave one last death throe. Elva retched again as she felt the Ra'zac's life extinguish. The contents of her stomach mixed with the pool of Ra'zac blood that surrounded her and soaked into her clothes began to smell quite repulsive, and the stench might have made her vomit one more time, if she had had anything left inside her.

Green light lit the edges of Elva's vision; she watched Arya conjure her orb of light again, reflected in the pool of blood. Elva felt the elf move behind her and gently wrap her long fingers around the girl's waist. She felt the elf's concern for Elva wash over her as Arya gently lifted her out of her miserable puddle and set her down again a few feet away.

Elva trembled as she watched Arya retrieve her sword from the gut of the dead Ra'zac. There was a nasty squelching sound as Arya ripped her blade from the creature's beetle-like exoskeleton. The Ra'zac's blood looked green, but it may have just appeared that way because of the green light.

"I am very impressed with you," Arya said quietly as she cleaned her blade. She had her back to Elva, but the girl could feel the sincerity emanating from the elf, just as she could sense every emotion that anyone experienced in her presence. The curse wasn't so bad during moments like these, but Elva was still tired of sharing in everybody's feelings, and she silently hoped with all her heart that in just a short amount of time Eragon would be able to take his unwanted gift away.

"Thank you," Elva muttered, shivering from the memory of what had just happened.

"I know what that must have cost you," Arya went on, still not facing the girl. "Angela was not wrong when she opposed the idea of sending you on this mission. This was almost too much for you, and the worst may be yet to come."

Elva did not reply; awareness of the sorrowful emotions of Roran and Katrina had returned to her. _Love really is not such a beautiful thing, if it can make people feel like this_, she thought darkly.

"Even so," Arya continued, unaware of Elva's miserable thoughts, "I owe you my life, and for that I must thank you."

Elva shook her head, trying to clear it for even just a moment of the lovers' pain. She was only half listening to Arya, but she was touched by the elf's gratitude; Nasuada didn't thank her very often… actually, Nasuada may have never thanked her at all.

"You're welcome," Elva told the elf, and she found that she truly meant it.


	9. Chapter 8

They found their way out of the cavern without much incident. Elva rode on Arya's back as the elf moved defensively, sword drawn, through the pitch black tunnels of Helgrind. Both of them were on constant alert for the arrival of the other Ra'zac, which they knew must be somewhere inside the mountain, lurking in the shadows, waiting to take down the pair of intruders that had murdered its partner (if it had even discovered the fallen Ra'zac yet).

Arya had located Eragon's mind, but found that she was unable to communicate with him; apparently the Ra'zac had drugged him, which would explain why he hadn't been able to rescue himself using magic.

Saphira had located Eragon as well, and was trying to break through stone to get to him; some of the tunnels inside the mountain were far too narrow for the dragon's bulk. Her frustrated roars echoed throughout Helgrind, and Arya and Elva had become accustomed to the constant shaking of the floor, which had returned not long after the Lethrblaka's demise.

Suddenly the walls began to shake too, and Arya had to steady herself in the darkness. Elva wondered if Saphira was actually making any progress getting to Eragon or if she only kept attacking the stone and causing the passages inside the mountain to shake out of frustration.

Eventually Roran and Katrina's pain got stronger inside Elva's head, and she realized that this was because she and Arya were getting much closer to them. Arya was treading carefully through a tunnel in the upper half of Helgrind that had a door in the wall every now and then. So far Arya hadn't attempted to open any of these doors; Elva knew that Arya did not detect Eragon's consciousness behind them.

It was when the passage forked and Arya paused to decide which route to take that Elva began to feel the pain of a fourth prisoner of Helgrind. Apparently this other man had been either unconscious or sleeping until now; it was the only way that Elva could have missed him before.

"Arya," she whispered. The elf stiffened; Arya thought that the girl had sensed danger. However, Elva was focusing on this fourth prisoner that she had detected, and asked softly, "Who is this other man whose despair just washed over me? He is not Roran or Eragon."

Arya sighed. "That is Sloan," she said, "Katrina's father. He was the butcher in Carvahall, Eragon's birthplace. He is a traitor and a murderer; we will not rescue him."

"He is pining for his daughter…" Elva murmured; she was able to make complete sense of his emotions now that she knew his identity.

"Is any of his pain remorse for his actions?" Arya asked.

Elva paused, sifting through Sloan's painful feelings, trying to feel his regret. "No," she said finally, "he feels no remorse for his actions."

"Then we will not rescue him," Arya repeated, and there was such finality in her tone that Elva did not reply.

Arya chose the path on the right and continued down the passage without pausing until she reached the very end, where there was just a single metal door set into the stone. Arya raised her left hand and murmured, "_Jierda_!" The metal bent in upon itself, cracked, and then burst away with a sound that was surely loud enough to attract the attention of the remaining Ra'zac. However, Arya seemed unconcerned by this idea, and stepped gracefully over the threshold of the dark doorway with Elva clinging tightly to her shoulders.

And there was Eragon. His limbs bound in chains, his head lolling to the side, and his clothes torn and bloody, there was Eragon, clearly beaten but alive nonetheless.

Arya helped Elva lower herself to the floor, then approached Eragon, knelt beside him, and released him from his bonds with the same spell that she used to break through the cell door.

"Eragon, can you hear me? Eragon?" Arya placed a hand on the Rider's shoulder and shook him lightly.

His lips parted slightly, allowing a breath to escape from them, but there was no response otherwise. Arya lifted one of Eragon's eyelids and watched the pupil contract from the light that she held in her palm.

Elva stood stone still next to the elf, fighting a mental battle with herself, trying to resist the urge to run to Roran, Katrina, and Sloan to try to comfort them. She watched in silence as Arya murmured a spell in the Ancient Language and revived Eragon.

Eragon opened his eyes and groaned as he tried to sit up, supported by Arya's arm around his shoulder. As he awakened, the pain of his wounds washed over Elva on top of the sorrow of the other prisoners that she was feeling. She tried not to flinch, but when Eragon reached out with his mind and brushed her consciousness with his, she really could not help it.

"Is that Elva?" Eragon asked, turning his head and squinting past Arya to the girl that he sensed there.

"Aye," Arya responded, "Nasuada sent her with me to help me rescue you. We agreed that her unique skill might come in use against the Ra'zac."

Eragon nodded. "I see. She can sacrifice herself for you if you are about to be killed."

"She can sense our enemies' weaknesses and tell me how to defeat them," Arya said coolly. "She can also alert me to an enemy's presence when I have barriers around my mind."

"Aye, that as well," the Rider agreed, clearly oblivious to Arya's tone and the glare that he was receiving from Elva.

Elva found Eragon's lack of sensitivity toward her very irritating and it fuelled her desire to get revenge for everything he had done to her, but her revenge would have to wait; Roran and Katrina needed to be rescued, and Elva felt that she could not combat her urge to ease their sorrow any longer.

"Have you found Roran yet?" Eragon asked Arya. Then, without waiting for an answer, he frowned and let his mind sweep over Helgrind, searching for his cousin's consciousness. "There he is."

He struggled to his feet with Arya's help and stumbled out of the cell with Arya and Elva right behind him. They moved through the dark passages as silently as possible, always heading in the direction of Roran's mind.

Saphira had finally stopped causing the mountain to shake; Elva supposed this was because Eragon had mentally contacted her and let her know that he was alright. This was probably a good thing, as walking was much easier when the floor was not shaking; however the passages were eerily quiet without the sound of Saphira.

At one point Elva thought that she sensed the remaining Ra'zac in the darkness, but felt no imminent danger for Eragon, Arya, or herself and decided she must have imagined it.

Eventually they reached Roran's cell. Eragon opened the door with magic and led the way inside.

Roran was chained to the wall, with his head bowed and his long, disheveled hair obscuring his face. As Eragon approached him, he lifted his head just enough to see who had entered his cell, and his eyes widened at the sight of his cousin.

"_Eragon_!" he gasped.

"Aye," said Eragon simply. "Hold still." And with a low cry of "_Jierda_!" Eragon broke the chains binding Roran to the cell wall. The spell cut right through the shackles on Roran's wrists and ankles so that no symbol of his imprisonment remained.

Immediately after being freed, Roran wanted to rush to Katrina's cell. However, Eragon held him back for a moment to heal some of his wounds; Roran's lip had been split, one of his eyes had been blackened, and several of his ribs had been cracked, among other cuts and bruises.

When Eragon was finished with his magic, the two men embraced each other like brothers and then moved out of the cell without a word to Arya or Elva, Eragon leading the way in the direction that he sensed Katrina's consciousness.

Arya lifted Elva onto her shoulders and said, "This way is safer for both of us. You do not have to struggle to keep up with us, and it is easier for you to warn me if the remaining Ra'zac is about to attack." Elva agreed; she enjoyed not having to walk.

Katrina's cell was not far from Roran's; they had only been walking for a few minutes when Eragon halted and broke down the door with magic. It was a great relief to Elva to feel Roran's happiness at seeing his beloved again, and Katrina's relief and joy as her husband-to-be burst into her cell and embraced her. All of the pain that the couple had experienced when they had feared they were lost to each other was completely diminished, and the weight of their sorrow was lifted from Elva's shoulders.

Elva was so glad to be free of Roran and Katrina's pain that she was able to ignore her curse, just for a moment. And so it was a moment too late when Elva realized the danger they were in and leaned toward Arya's pointed ear to breathe her warning: "Ra'zac!"

Arya swung around to find it standing there in the tunnel, clicking its beak and wielding a weapon that could not be identified in the dark.


	10. Chapter 9

Arya gasped and raised her sword, but the Ra'zac struck her in the forehead before she could do anything else, and she crumpled to the stone floor. Elva toppled from her shoulders and landed hard next to her. The Ra'zac advanced, leaping on top of the unconscious elf and opening its horrible black beak in preparation to bite her.

Elva's body shook as she tried to fight the urge to jump between the Ra'zac and Arya; she knew the Ra'zac would kill her instantly, being as small as she was. However, in the same second that the Ra'zac opened its beak and Elva's body began to shake, the damaged door of Katrina's cell hurled into the Ra'zac's face and slammed it into the opposite tunnel wall. Elva gasped as she rolled over, and then vomited.

Elva could sense Eragon, rather than see him, as he walked out of the cell, stepped over Arya, and approached the wounded Ra'zac that was struggling to remove the metal door from itself. Elva knew that Eragon had used magic on the door to throw it at the Ra'zac, and with an enormous effort she lifted her head to see what magic he would use against the creature next.

Eragon cast a spell that split the door in half, and then he bent down and snatched up Arya's sword with inhuman speed as the Ra'zac rose to its feet, hissing and clicking. Then as the Ra'zac launched itself at Eragon, the Rider swung Arya's sword up in a wide arc. The blade met the Ra'zac just as it reached Eragon, and as Eragon brought the sword in a full circle, it sliced off the Ra'zac's arm.

The Ra'zac hissed and screeched in agony as its useless arm fell to the floor and green blood spurted from the stump that was left behind. Elva struggled to her feet and backed against the wall, trying with all her might not to vomit again. As she battled with herself, Roran thundered past her out of the cell.

Elva was too disoriented to have a very clear picture of what happened next, but from the sounds she heard and the pain she sensed, she deduced that Roran had thrown himself at the wounded Ra'zac and attempted to pin it to the floor. The Ra'zac struggled with lots of hissing and clicking, and managed to injure Roran with its beak as Eragon brought Arya's sword around again and sunk the blade into the Ra'zac's side.

The Ra'zac let out an earsplitting shriek and Elva flinched. She pressed her hands against either side of her head as she tried to block out the pain of Roran's and the Ra'zac's injuries, and tried to resist the urge to somehow relieve both of them simultaneously. This last conflicting sensation from her curse was confusing and overpowering enough that it almost drove her over the edge of sanity.

Roran, ignoring his wound, lifted a rock from the tunnel floor and smashed the Ra'zac's head with it. At the same time, Eragon twisted Arya's sword in the creature's side and then yanked it out. The Ra'zac fell to the ground and did not move again. Elva was abruptly relieved at the Ra'zac's death; it had taken the last bit of her willpower to resist throwing herself between the Ra'zac and Roran's rock. She sank to the floor with her head pounding. She lay there, barely conscious, fighting to keep from fainting completely, feeling Roran's pain from his injury and Katrina's fear as she listened to the battle from inside her cell.

Elva continued to lie there, fighting to stay conscious, as Eragon revived Arya and returned her sword to her. Elva was dimly aware of Eragon explaining to the elf what had just transpired; she could also see light at the edge of her vision, which meant that Eragon or Arya had most likely conjured a ball of light in order to see better.

The next thing Elva knew, soft hands were gently lifting her into a sitting position. She squinted at Arya's face and heard the elf's musical voice as if it was far away instead of right next to Elva's head.

"Are you alright?" the elf was saying. "The Ra'zac is dead; there should be nothing causing you pain anymore…."

But Elva could not comprehend any more of what Arya said; she felt more exhausted with each passing second, and as Arya lifted Elva into her arms, Elva felt the very last grain of her strength leave her. Her violet eyes fluttered shut, and she knew no more.

* * *

When Elva finally awoke, several days had passed since the prisoners of Helgrind and their rescuers had left the Ra'zac's lair. Elva was once again riding on Arya's back, strapped into the pack that Trianna had made for her.

Elva was starving; she had not eaten since before they infiltrated Helgrind.

Arya was running, returning to Surda the same way that she had left. Elva turned her head and saw that Eragon was running next to the elf, keeping perfect pace with her. Elva was impressed; as a human, Eragon should not have had the ability to run as fast as an elf. But then again, Elva reminded herself, he _did_ look like an elf now; he had somehow acquired elvish looks, speed, and strength in Du Weldenvarden. Elva did not know how this transformation had taken place, but she thought that it must be some ancient secret of elvish magic that could not be revealed to or understood by most humans.

As the elf and Rider ran, and as Elva's mind wandered, Eragon turned his head to look at Arya and caught Elva contemplating him. He abruptly slowed down, and Arya, glancing at him, followed suit.

"I am hungry," said Elva pointedly, when they had stopped.

"You are finally awake!" said Arya, and Elva was surprised to hear the relief in the elf's voice.

"Aye," replied Elva. "I am awake, and hungry."

"We just ate about an hour ago," Eragon told her. "Perhaps you could wait a while, until we are ready to stop again?"

"We have already stopped," said Elva coldly. Dislike for Eragon welled up in her, and she immediately recalled her earlier thoughts of seeking revenge upon him for burdening her with this curse.

"We are out of bread," said Arya, ignoring Eragon and setting Elva down on the ground. She released the girl from her seat on the pack, dug into a side pocket, and continued, "However, I have been scavenging for berries and plants every day, and have put some aside for you."

With that, she produced some berries from the pocket and handed them to Elva.

"I know it is not much," Arya sighed, "but it is the best we can do for now."

Elva devoured the berries without even thanking the elf; she was too famished to remember to be polite. As she ate, Arya and Eragon told her what had happened after she lost consciousness in Helgrind.

After killing the final Ra'zac and rescuing Katrina from her cell, they had reunited with Saphira and found a way out of the mountain. Because Saphira could not fly with more than two people on her back, Eragon decided that Roran and Katrina should ride her, as Eragon was the only human who could keep up with Arya on foot. Saphira would fly Roran and Katrina to Surda and then return to the Empire to meet Eragon and Arya, who would, in the meantime, run as far as they could from Helgrind and Dras-Leona, and try to meet Saphira somewhere around halfway between Surda and Helgrind.

"It should not be very long now until Saphira comes for us," finished Eragon. "She can carry all three of us, Elva, because you are so small."

"Very well," said Elva. She ate the last of Arya's berries, and then stood with a fierce look in her eyes. She approached Eragon and stared at him with her violet gaze until he knelt down before her, lowering himself so that his face was on the same level as hers.

Looking the Rider straight in the eye, Elva said, "Eragon. You have promised me that you would attempt to lift my curse after the Battle of the Burning Plains. The Battle has ended, and fortnights have passed, yet you still have not done so. Please, Rider Eragon, lift this burden from me now."

Eragon stared back at her, considering her. Elva felt herself growing angry again. What did he need to consider? He had given his word!

Finally, Eragon frowned, and said quietly, "No."

Elva's fury broke. "NO?" she screamed, and ignoring her curse, she threw herself at Eragon, her tiny fists flying. He stood up and stepped away from her. She followed, punching and clawing at his legs, but her tiny knuckles and nails did nothing to his leggings or his boots.

"Elva!" said Arya, surprised. "Elva, stop!"

She grabbed the girl from behind and held her arms tightly.

"Let me go!" Elva growled through gritted teeth, but Arya held her tightly until she settled down. Then the elf set her down on the ground, where she abruptly vomited all of the berries she had just eaten into a horribly-colored puddle that trickled slightly toward Eragon, but stopped long before it reached him. This disappointed Elva; at least she could have vomited on him. He deserved much worse than that for breaking his word.

"Eragon, why will you not try to lift Elva's curse?" Arya asked. "I would do it myself, but it has to be you; you cast the spell. You gave her your word that you would try to help her, and now you are allowing her – a mere child – to continue to suffer!"

Elva could feel the guilt welling inside Eragon; this gave her little satisfaction, however. She did not care if he felt bad about cursing her; that evidently was not enough incentive for him to try to fix what he had done to her.

"I want to help her," Eragon said quietly, "I really do. I have ruined her life with the 'blessing' I bestowed. I ruined an innocent child. I made her unnatural, an outcast. However, this is a time of war, and you cannot deny, Arya, that Elva is very useful. She can sense anyone's weakness… she could even help us defeat Galbatorix! How easy would it be, Arya, if we could face Galbatorix with Elva and have her tell us how to defeat him!"

"Nothing is that easy," said Arya slowly. "Galbatorix could break into Elva's thoughts very easily and use her against us. And you assume too much in believing that knowing Galbatorix's weakness would make him easy to defeat. He is an incredibly powerful magician; I am sure he will always be a formidable enemy, even if we learn the secret to defeating him."

Eragon did not seem to know what to say; when Elva looked at him, he had his mouth open slightly but then abruptly closed it. He stared at Arya for a few seconds, and then stiffened. He turned to face due south and squinted up at the sky.

"Saphira approaches!" he said excitedly, and began running in the direction of his faithful dragon.

Elva sighed and looked up at Arya, whose slanted eyebrows were pulled into a frown.

"We will not give up on him," Arya said, in response to the murderous look on Elva's face. "I am sure that Nasuada will insist that Eragon keeps his promise; and as he has pledged himself to her as her vassal, he must obey."

"And if he does not," said Elva savagely, "he will pay for his mistake."

Arya's frown deepened, but she said nothing more to the girl as they began to walk after Eragon toward the large, startlingly blue shape that was Saphira landing in front of him.

_Little one_, Saphira hummed, touching Eragon with her nose. Elva was startled to find that the dragon projected her thoughts to all of them, despite speaking only to her Rider.

Eragon, however, communicated only with Saphira; after she had greeted Arya and Elva, there were several silent moments where Eragon was evidently speaking to her privately with his mind.

Finally he turned to face Arya and Elva, and said, "Saphira thinks it would be safer for Elva to ride strapped into the saddle like us, rather than risk her life by just holding onto her or having her ride in Arya's pack."

Elva seethed with rage; Eragon refused to consider her an equal! She was just a tool that he had created, although he had done so unintentionally.

Elva continued to seethe silently and imagine punishing Eragon as Eragon and Arya secured her to Saphira's saddle. Then they mounted the dragon themselves and tightened the straps around their legs.

Saphira took off and Elva rode her, silently hating Eragon, all the way back to Surda.


End file.
